Scratching out original fictional plots is for the birds

He lies, steals and deceives – all for sex. A bestseller? In this case, no, it’s the life and times of a particular randy avian – the bowerbird. This all-too-friendly feathered friend with 24 species native to Australia and New Guinea has an exhaustive box of tricks, all designed to help him trick females into doing the nasty.

Wired Science gives the indelicate inside scoop how the bowerbird entices sexual partners into romance through lies, illusions, and thievery.

The lies: Placing materials in a sequence that makes him look bigger. Even for bowerbirds, size matters.

The illusions: Visual overload of the female’s eyes to cast him in a more positive light.

The thievery: Lifting select items of interest and potential seduction from rival bowerbird nests to employ in his own home.

Read the full story on Wired Science’s blog on absurb creatures: http://www.wired.com/2016/02/absurd-creature-of-the-week-meet-the-bird-that-lies-and-tricks-its-way-into-sex/

Who needs imagination when nature Sounds like fodder for a good novel.